If I don't want a "10-trip ticket", are there other ways to avoid paying the over-inflated price?
I'm sure you've already seen this but as it could probably do with being in this thread anyway, these are all the fares:
Adult
Cash Single: £4.30
Cash Return: £8.60
Discounted Single: £3.20
Discounted Return: £6.40
Oyster Pay as You Go: £3.20
Child (5-15)
Cash Single: £2.20
Cash Return: £4.40
Discounted Single: £1.60
Discounted Return: £3.20
Oyster Pay as You Go: £1.60
Other Fares
10 journeys in 12 months: £16
Private cabin hire: £86
With a Travelcard you can use the discounted fares.
Then there's the "5+ Reward": when you use Oyster PAYG five or more times in one week on the Air Line, the next time you travel, 50% of the previous week's fares will be credited back on your Oyster PAYG card. In other words, if an adult uses the Air Line five times in a week at £21.50 total, the following week when they touch in on the Air Line, they'll receive £10.75 back as credit. This extra credit is only available to use within 6 weeks after which it expires.
So it looks as though £3.20 in each direction is the best available which does seem a little expensive to me (especially when
Boris said it was £1.60 a ticket. He must have been talking about a Child discounted single...).